lOO 



CHAPTER XII. 



EQUINE LOCOMOTION. 



Definitions— The Trot— The Amble— The Walk— The Canter— The Gallop— The 

 Rein Back — Turning and Circling — Buck-jumping — Shying — Foot-prints of 

 the Horse during various Paces. 



There is no such thing as absolute uniformity in the 

 paces of the horse. 



Definitions. — To simphfy explanation, we may, when 

 speaking of the limbs, call the near (left) fore and near 

 hind, the left pair ; the off (right) fore and off hind, 

 the right pair ; the off fore and near hind, the right 

 diagonals ; and the near fore and off hind, the left 

 diagonals. The meaning of both fore and both hind is 

 evident. 



We may use the word support to signify the fact that 

 the weight of the body is borne by one or more limbs, as, 

 for instance, left support, when only the left pair are on 

 the ground ; and right diagonal support, when the right 

 diagonals alone prevent the horse from falling. 



A stride is the distance from the foot-print of any one 

 leg to the foot-print of the same leg, when it next comes 

 to the ground ; or it is the action of the limbs while that 

 distance is being covered. 



A step is the forward or backward movement of one 

 foot ; or it is the distance one foot is removed from its 

 fore or hind fellow. 



The term, period of suspension, will serve to designate 



